Residential play worker jobs

37.5 hours per week / permanent / working Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm with the requirement of working one late shift per week, one shift at the weekend per month and be part of an out of hours ‘on-call rota’

YMCA DownsLink Group is the leading charity for children and young people across Sussex and Surrey. We offer safe homes, mental health support and trusted advice.

We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe, heard and to shape their own future. We work alongside them to make that happen.

We are here for children and young people, many of whom face multiple challenges and need our support.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections – guide us in all our actions.

Are you a person‑centred leader who thrives on empowering others and driving positive outcomes for young people?

If so, we are searching for a motivational and resilient leader who thrives on developing others, championing best practice, and nurturing a collaborative and compassionate culture. You will bring a trauma-informed and psychologically informed approach to both your team and the young people we support, ensuring everyone feels understood, safe, and empowered. If you are energised by leading teams, shaping services, and supporting staff to deliver exceptional, person-centred support - even in challenging moments - this could be the role for you.

As Deputy Supported Housing Manager, you will play a central role in our Eastbourne and Hailsham services - supported accommodation for young people aged 16–25 who are at risk of homelessness. Our services operate 24/7 to provide a safe, stable home where young people can feel understood, encouraged and supported. You will be based at our Eastbourne Foyer, located in the heart of Eastbourne, where the service maintains strong connections with and contributes actively to the local community. The role also involves travel across Eastbourne and Hailsham to our other East Sussex sites.

Across our East Sussex sites, we work with around 50 young people, each with their own story, strengths, challenges and ambitions. Support Workers hold individual caseloads and meet regularly with residents to build support plans, celebrate progress, and set meaningful goals for the future. Your leadership will help create the environment where this work thrives - one where young people feel empowered and staff feel confident and supported. 

What you will be doing

As Deputy Supported Housing Manager, you will play a key role in the running, quality, and impact of our services. Working closely with the Supported Housing Manager, you will help lead a safe, supportive, and high‑performing environment where young people can thrive.

Service Provision

You will support the Supported Housing Manager with the day‑to‑day delivery of the service, ensuring we meet all requirements set out in the service specification and remain fully compliant with Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and Ofsted standards. Your responsibilities will include:

• Overseeing the full referral, interview, and induction process for all bedspaces and ensuring that every resident understands their Occupancy Agreement and House Rules.
• Maintaining the quality, safety, and presentation of the accommodation by working closely with our Housing and Property Services team to coordinate estate inspections, health and safety risk assessments, repairs, and the timely turnaround of void rooms.
• Supporting effective income collection across the service, working with the Rents team to build and maintain a positive rent‑payment culture among residents. 

Leadership and People Management

You will directly line‑manage members of the staff team, ensuring their practice, professionalism, and development reflect our high standards. You will:

• Provide coaching, guidance, and clear expectations to ensure staff feel confident, supported, and motivated in their work with young people.
• Create a team culture rooted in creativity, consistency, and best practice, ensuring staff are equipped to empower young people to reach their goals while maintaining appropriate and safe boundaries.
• Be responsible for creating and maintaining staff rotas to ensure adequate service coverage at all times.

General Responsibilities

• Participate in the management on‑call rota, offering out‑of‑hours support to services across the wider locality.
• Embed Psychologically Informed Environments (PIEs), Trauma‑Informed approaches, and restorative practices throughout your work, ensuring our support model is compassionate, reflective, and person‑centred.

If you are enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate.

You have experience line managing staff and building positive, supportive team cultures. You bring consistency, are well organised and approachable, and are confident in setting clear expectations. You enjoy motivating others, supporting staff development, and planning effective rotas to ensure high‑quality service delivery.

You will bring experience working in supported housing or similar services, supporting young people and/or adults at risk, along with proven experience in managing or supervising a team. You will already have a solid understanding of the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and Ofsted frameworks, as well as a strong working knowledge of Trauma‑Informed Care and Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE).

You will be an effective communicator with strong facilitation skills, able to navigate challenging situations with confidence, calmness, and a solution‑focused approach. You will also have experience overseeing safeguarding procedures within residential settings, ensuring safety, accountability, and robust decision‑making. Just as importantly, you will understand the importance of maintaining professional boundaries, modelling best practice for the team and the young people we support.

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 31 May 2026 at midnight. Please note applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and we may invite strong candidates to interview before the closing date, so early applications are encouraged.

We are not able to support a work permit or offer a visa sponsorship for this role. Candidates must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. 

Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children’s and Adults’ barred lists) check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.

Reporting to: Accommodation and Facilities Manager

Location: Baca office, Loughborough, England. The role will require regular travel to other locations where Baca’s services are delivered

Hours: 37.5 hrs per week including some evening and weekend hours may be required

Salary: £26,750 per annum

Overall Purpose

To provide maintenance support to the organisation, ensuring premises are maintained at a standard that will serve the mission of Baca. This will include properties across Loughborough and 2 office sites.

Duties Responsibilities

• Organise and conduct required maintenance at all Baca sites. The below list is not exhaustive but some of the below skills will be required to fulfil the role; General Plumbing; bathroom and kitchen plumbing repairs, blocked toilets & sinks etc, Painting and Decorating, Basic carpentry skills, Meter Reading for electricity and gas meters, Fire Testing; routine testing of smoke and CO alarms.
• To become familiar and actively use the Baca’s maintenance management system which aids the reactive and planned works across all sites.
• Communicating with contractors, residential workers and landlords as required, ensuring repairs and maintenance is conducted when planned.
• Administering quarterly checks, quarterly cleans, health and safety requirements and annual servicing such as: PAT testing and Gas safety on properties and reporting issues for follow up.
• Working alongside the Premises Manager, administer the Health & Safety checks on all Baca properties including the offices, to ensure regulatory requirements are met and associated paperwork is completed.
• Support in the setting-up and closing down of properties and rooms between moves.
• Administering the setup and set-down of rooms for young people moves between Baca properties, ensuring the rooms are ready for new young people.
• Ensuring the office and car parks are clean and tidy, ensuring visitor experience is positive, professional, welcoming, friendly and helpful.
• Assist the Premises Manager and Finance Manager with year-end Fixed Assets verification.
• Supporting with other administrative activities in line with the team needs.

General:

• Play an active and supportive role within the organisation.
• Take ownership of files allocated, ensuring they are up to date and stored correctly.
• Maintain strict confidentiality in relation to work undertaken and ensure all confidential material is stored according to Baca’s Confidentiality statement and Data Protection Policy.
• Embrace the Vision and Values of Baca and reflect this in working practice.
• Treat all staff and young people fairly and without prejudice, in line with Baca’s Equality and Diversity policy.
• Be aware of the correct procedures for dealing with any suggested incidences of safeguarding concerns and to follow them, in line with Baca’s Child, Vulnerable Adult Protection & Safeguarding Policy.
• Adhere to all Baca’s policies and procedures.

Personal Specification

Baca is looking for someone who can help the organisation with the housing maintenance and day to day function of all properties it houses young people in and our offices. The successful applicant will be motivated and passionate about the work that Baca does and the young people in our care. They will be very organised and practical, able to get on with tasks that need doing on a day-to-day basis, managing a varied and busy workload. They will be very approachable and enjoy working on their own as well as part of a team and supporting others. The successful applicant will need access to transport as the role requires travel between the properties that Baca manages including the transportation of items to the properties.

The successful applicant will have a personable style that is in line with Baca’s vision and values. Someone who is supportive, approachable, responsible, reliable and personable.

Qualifications/Knowledge/Experience

• Good knowledge/understanding of the building and maintenance process.
• A good awareness of general health and safety, especially regarding maintenance work.
• Ability to use computers well, with experience in Microsoft Office and on-line email systems.
• Experience of prioritising workload to meet competing deadlines.
• Advocate of customer care including experience of dealing with a range of client queries/concerns in a professional and understanding manner.

Skills/Abilities

• Experienced in the use of hand tools and familiar working with timber, basic plumbing materials, furniture building, decorating and gardening.
• Excellent personal organisation with a high attention to detail.
• Ability to manage a number of tasks at any one time.
• Self-motivated to complete a varied workload.
• Working well as part of a team is essential.
• Good interpersonal skills and able to interact well with staff, contractors and visitors to the office and other properties.
• Ability to work to deadlines and respond in a flexible way to the changing demands of Baca’s work.

Other Expectations

• Appointment is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.
• Applicants to have a genuine concern for and commitment to asylum seekers/refugees, young people and UASCs in particular.
• Ability and commitment to work at all times within a framework of confidentiality and anti-discriminatory practice.
• Commitment to work within the aims, values and ethos of the organisation.
• Ability to have flexibility with working hours to facilitate occasional out of office hours access to accommodation for contractors.
• Holds a full, clean driving licence and has access to transport.

How to Apply:

If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young asylum seekers and meet the above criteria, we would love to hear from you. Join us in making a positive impact and helping young people build a brighter future!

Applicants will be shortlisted and interviewed as and when applications are received.

Please note: We do not offer sponsorship for this role.

The Navigators is a Christian discipleshp charity working across the UK. We are seeking an organised and proactive Events Executive to provide maternity cover and lead the delivery of our key external events, including the National Conference and launch of our Alongside course.

The role involves co-ordinating event logistics, managing budgets, working closely with internal teams and helping ensure events are used effectively to engage people with our work and support the growth of a movment of 'Alongsiders'.

We offer a friendly and supportive team to work with, the opportunity to take responsibility for two high profile events based on solid foundations from previous successes and a competitive remuneration package.

We would ideally like to have a candidate working fully or hybrid from the Southampton Office. However we are willing to consider applications from exceptional candidates who would only be able to take the post working fully remotely from within the UK with the ability to travel to events. 

The attached candidate pack contains more details about our work, the role and the person description for this post.

Please note that there is an occupational requirement for the post holder to be a practicing Christian.